August 5, 2023 – Air Mail

Dark Money

From New York, Johanna Berkman untangles the sordid links between the billionaire financier Leon Black and Jeffrey Epstein to reveal a world of fine-art collecting, high-end Russian escorts, and alleged sex trafficking …

In the Shadow of a Doubt

From the campaign trail, Jonathan Darman wonders whether Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s conspiracy theories are a sign of the times or, rather, of a fine old American tradition …

Kicking and Screaming

From the U.K., Jonathan Margolis reports on the disastrous first season of the world’s only carbon-neutral, Palestine-supporting, vegan soccer team—and their ultra-violent head coach …

Home Invasion

From Moscow, Katya V. reports on how Putin’s repressive new laws—banning oral contraception for women, stopping men from leaving the country—are scaring the populace more than Ukrainian drone strikes are …

Twelve Orange Men

From the courtroom, John Ficarra ponders what the jury pool will look like when Donald Trump finally goes to trial …

Holiday Ins

From Milan, Elena Clavarino asks if this season’s extreme heat will finally lead vacationers to forgo the Mediterranean …

The Battle-Him of the Republic

From Washington, Ash Carter celebrates the many disagreements of Martin Peretz, the pugnacious former owner of The New Republic, whose aim in life was “pissing off the right people” …

BUT, WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Monaco’s latest Prince Albert problem … the River Cafe’s Ruthie Rogers dishes on her worst customer ever … a biting play about the making of Jaws … the heir to Vienna’s finest silver manufacturer is making an old-world business young again … Paris’s booksellers will not be moved! … the best restaurant in the North Fork is in a motel … Vote now in our Attention-Whore Index Poll!

Issue No. 212

The View from Here Does R.F.K. Jr.’s campaign represent what America is becoming—a strange new land where conspiracy theories rule the day—or is it simply a reflection of the country it’s always been?

By Jonathan Darman

Read On

Kremlin Crackdown As the war drags on, Russian dissenters watch powerlessly while Putin expands conscription and bans civil liberties he deems too Western

By Katya V.

Read On

The $158 Million Question Why is Leon Black, billionaire financier, blue-chip art collector—and close friend of Jeffrey Epstein’s—suddenly facing a new rape accusation and questions from the Senate Finance Committee? An extensive AIR MAIL investigation provides a road map

By Johanna Berkman

Photo Illustration by Chop Choppish Shop

Read On

My Favorite Things The Australian designer and stylist behind fashion’s favorite beachwear shares her timeless essentials, from her must-have morning pick-me-ups to the wardrobe heroes she won’t travel without

By Ilona Hamer

Shop

Steaming Through Summer At long last, a worthy iPhone alternative! A suitcase to tranquilize tykes in flight! A steamer-cum-iron that won’t do you dirty! And more …

By Jonathan Margolis

Read On

Fuel to the Fired Prince Albert of Monaco fired his closest advisers after a mysterious Web site accused them of corruption. Rather than save face, it’s triggered a flurry of lawsuits

By Adam Sage

Read On

The Attention-Whore Index Is Elon Musk having trouble with his X? Did Melania Trump almost quit the White House? Is there a rift in the Sussex-verse? Who is demanding your attention?

Read On

Lessons in Controversy During his years as publisher of The New Republic, Martin Peretz held sway over Washington. In a memoir, he attempts to make sense of the fall from grace that followed

By Ash Carter

Read On

Peer Pressure How do lawyers pick “a jury of his peers” when the defendant is Donald Trump? Actually, the potential jury pool is pretty deep

By John Ficarra

Photo Illustration by Chop Choppish Shop

Read On

Riviera Madness In the late 19th century, the French and Italian coasts became places of refuge, thanks to their moderate climes. With climate change destroying the Mediterranean summer fantasy, will vacationers go elsewhere?

By Elena Clavarino

Read On

Sparkle Prada Last fall, fine-jewelry aficionados contended with the nearly heart-stopping news that Prada was entering the market…

Wear Attersee I was just trying to get home. I had no intention of a flight diversion to Pueblo, Colorado. Or a five-hour interlude on the tarmac there…

Sparkle Little Liffner I wouldn’t call Little Liffner’s leather totes and handbags the epitome of “quiet luxury,” but I’m as equally charmed by the Swedish…

Train Jeremiah “Dot” Weatherspoon An ex-N.F.L. player is taking over the New York City private-fitness scene. With a Who’s Who clientele…

Read Consider the Oyster Much like the chain of events in the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, if you give a friend a copy of Consider the Oyster…

Sip Betty Buzz This summer, mocktails have become as ubiquitous as straw handbags and soft-serve pop-ups. Non-drinkers no longer have to settle…

Sparkle Prada Last fall, fine-jewelry aficionados contended with the nearly heart-stopping news that Prada was entering the market…

Wear Attersee I was just trying to get home. I had no intention of a flight diversion to Pueblo, Colorado. Or a five-hour interlude on the tarmac there…

Sparkle Little Liffner I wouldn’t call Little Liffner’s leather totes and handbags the epitome of “quiet luxury,” but I’m as equally charmed by the Swedish…

Train Jeremiah “Dot” Weatherspoon An ex-N.F.L. player is taking over the New York City private-fitness scene. With a Who’s Who clientele…

Read Consider the Oyster Much like the chain of events in the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, if you give a friend a copy of Consider the Oyster…

Sip Betty Buzz This summer, mocktails have become as ubiquitous as straw handbags and soft-serve pop-ups. Non-drinkers no longer have to settle…

The Indie Revolution In the British book world, risk-averse legacy publishers are losing all the top literary prizes to small, experimental publishing houses

By Anthony Cummins

Read On

Soccer’s New Footprint For Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first carbon-neutral soccer team, bringing politics into the sport hasn’t played out exactly as the team’s super-rich owner had hoped

By Jonathan Margolis

Read On

Break Camp For decades, DJ Jeff Yahney was the king of sleepaway summer camps. Then cost-cutting Wall Street types realized his venues could be investments

By Andrew Zucker

Read On

“All I’m saying is, if we’re so advanced, why do we still have antennas?”

Hit the Books For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Parisian police have banned booksellers from setting up shop along the Seine River. The stall owners are fighting back

By Nadeem Badshah

Read On

A Seat at Ruthie Rogers’s Table

In an interview, the owner and chef behind London’s beloved River Cafe reveals everything, from her issue with truffle oil to her favorite city

Read On

Jean-Paul Vaugoin The sixth-generation heir to Vienna’s last remaining silver manufacturer is innovating and sticking to tradition in equal measure

By Madeline Weinfield

Read On

Hot Properties Habitable seeks to combine real-estate porn with eco-disaster anxiety. But who’s it really for?

By Lucy Horowitz

Read On

Did Jeffrey Epstein Blackmail a Wall Street Titan? On this week’s podcast, Johanna Berkman shares shocking details behind Leon Black’s deep financial ties to the convicted sex offender

Read On

Joel Meyerowitz’s Life in Photography One of the pioneers of color photography looks back on his six-decade career in a new book

9

New York City in 1978, photographed by Joel Meyerowitz.

*Top,* New York City, 1975; *above,* Long Island, 1965.

*Top,* New York City, 1963; *above,* Florida, 1967.

*Top,* New York City, 1974; *above,* Mexico, 1965.

Justine, photographed in Provincetown in 1977.

Robin Olson On

Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders

by John Glatt

Read On

Swimming with Sharks A tragicomedy about the making of Jaws, starring Robert Shaw’s son Ian, premieres on Broadway

By Amy Fine Collins

Read On

In Their Heads Set in an asylum, choreographer Matthew Bourne’s twist on Romeo and Juliet surprises audiences at Sadler’s Wells

By Genevieve Marks

Read On

Sunny Days at Silver Sands A star chef from New York has re-invented a treasured motel on the North Fork. And the locals approve

By Christine Muhlke

Read On

Is Edited By

Graydon Carter and Alessandra Stanley

Creative Director

Angela Panichi

Deputy Editors

Ashley Baker Ash Carter Chris Garrett Nathan King Julia Vitale

Chief Technology Officer

John Tornow

Editor at Large

George Pendle

Books Editor

Jim Kelly

Arts Intel Report Editor

Laura Jacobs

Senior Editor

Elena Clavarino

Junior Editor

Jensen Davis

Photo Director

Ann Schneider

Copy Editor

Adam Nadler

Research & Legal Editor

Matt Kapp

Production Editor

H. Scott Jolley

Associate Editors

Carolina de Armas Clara Molot Paulina Prosnitz

Art Director

Paloma Huerre

International Editor

Isabelle Harvie-Watt

London Editor

Bridget Arsenault

Communications Director

Harrison Vail

Columnists

Cazzie David Lisa Henricksson Walter Isaacson
Pico Iyer Rachel Johnson John Lahr
Jonathan Margolis Linda Wells James Wolcott

Writers at Large

Lili Anolik Johanna Berkman Joseph Bullmore Vassi Chamberlain William D. Cohan Rich Cohen Michael Hainey Stuart Heritage George Kalogerakis Sam Kashner James Kirchick Alexander Lobrano Alexandra Marshall Daphne Merkin

Contributing Artists

Monica Ahanonu Barry Blitt André Carrilho Paul Davis David Downton Andrea Ferolla Josh Gosfield Cathy Graham Eric Hanson Angelica Hicks Pip Johnson Hilary Knight Danielle Kosann Michael Lindsay-Hogg Ross MacDonald Joe McKendry James McMullan Donald Robertson Charles Dare Scheips Grant Shaffer Ed Sorel Ralph Steadman

Contributing Photographers

Jonathan Becker Justin Bishop Alex Board James Emmerman Marcos Fecchino Daniel Paik Art Streiber Sharon Suh Justin Weiner

Architectural Consultant

Basil Walter

Head of Audience Development

Rachel LeSage

Cartoon Editor

Bob Mankoff

Music Supervisor

Randall Poster

Photo Editor

Emine Gözde Sevim

Designer

Zoé Gillette

Technology

Brooks Oakley Justin Rubaloff Sade Singleton

Interns

Eleanor Barzun Isabella Carter Nyla Gilstrap Michael Melinger Gasper Tringale-White

OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER ARE

Bill Keenan and Emily Davis

Air Supply General Manager and Brand Partnerships

Anjali Lewis

Advertising Director

Michael Pescuma

European Sales Director

Selim Mataraci

Financial & Business Operations

Marc Leyer

Account Manager

Dillon Freeman

Chief Strategy Adviser

Adam Mendelsohn

AIR SUPPLY

Chief Merchant

Jennifer Noyes

Shop Editor

Zoe Ruffner

E-Commerce Manager

Isaac Metlitsky

E-Commerce Associates

Coco Paul-Henriot Roxy Solis

In Memoriam

Peter Bogdanovich Duncan Hannah Douglas McGrath Richard David Story André Leon Talley

The View from Here Does R.F.K. Jr.’s campaign represent what America is becoming—a strange new land where conspiracy theories rule the day—or is it simply a reflection of the country it’s always been?

Kremlin Crackdown As the war drags on, Russian dissenters watch powerlessly while Putin expands conscription and bans civil liberties he deems too Western

The $158 Million Question Why is Leon Black, billionaire financier, blue-chip art collector—and close friend of Jeffrey Epstein’s—suddenly facing a new rape accusation and questions from the Senate Finance Committee? An extensive AIR MAIL investigation provides a road map

Survey your culinary landscape and fill in any gaps with this menu of delicacies for gourmets, gourmands, bon vivants, and those who love them

My Favorite Things The Australian designer and stylist behind fashion’s favorite beachwear shares her timeless essentials, from her must-have morning pick-me-ups to the wardrobe heroes she won’t travel without

Steaming Through Summer At long last, a worthy iPhone alternative! A suitcase to tranquilize tykes in flight! A steamer-cum-iron that won’t do you dirty! And more …

Fuel to the Fired Prince Albert of Monaco fired his closest advisers after a mysterious Web site accused them of corruption. Rather than save face, it’s triggered a flurry of lawsuits

The Attention-Whore Index Is Elon Musk having trouble with his X? Did Melania Trump almost quit the White House? Is there a rift in the Sussex-verse? Who is demanding your attention?

Lessons in Controversy During his years as publisher of The New Republic, Martin Peretz held sway over Washington. In a memoir, he attempts to make sense of the fall from grace that followed

Peer Pressure How do lawyers pick “a jury of his peers” when the defendant is Donald Trump? Actually, the potential jury pool is pretty deep

Riviera Madness In the late 19th century, the French and Italian coasts became places of refuge, thanks to their moderate climes. With climate change destroying the Mediterranean summer fantasy, will vacationers go elsewhere?

The Indie Revolution In the British book world, risk-averse legacy publishers are losing all the top literary prizes to small, experimental publishing houses

Soccer’s New Footprint For Forest Green Rovers, the world’s first carbon-neutral soccer team, bringing politics into the sport hasn’t played out exactly as the team’s super-rich owner had hoped

Break Camp For decades, DJ Jeff Yahney was the king of sleepaway summer camps. Then cost-cutting Wall Street types realized his venues could be investments

Hit the Books For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Parisian police have banned booksellers from setting up shop along the Seine River. The stall owners are fighting back

In an interview, the owner and chef behind London’s beloved River Cafe reveals everything, from her issue with truffle oil to her favorite city

Jean-Paul Vaugoin The sixth-generation heir to Vienna’s last remaining silver manufacturer is innovating and sticking to tradition in equal measure

Hot Properties Habitable seeks to combine real-estate porn with eco-disaster anxiety. But who’s it really for?

Did Jeffrey Epstein Blackmail a Wall Street Titan? On this week’s podcast, Johanna Berkman shares shocking details behind Leon Black’s deep financial ties to the convicted sex offender

New York

Los Angeles

Seattle

Paris

Los Angeles

Joel Meyerowitz’s Life in Photography One of the pioneers of color photography looks back on his six-decade career in a new book

Swimming with Sharks A tragicomedy about the making of Jaws, starring Robert Shaw’s son Ian, premieres on Broadway

In Their Heads Set in an asylum, choreographer Matthew Bourne’s twist on Romeo and Juliet surprises audiences at Sadler’s Wells

Sunny Days at Silver Sands A star chef from New York has re-invented a treasured motel on the North Fork. And the locals approve

Is Edited By

Creative Director

Deputy Editors

Chief Technology Officer

Editor at Large

Books Editor

Arts Intel Report Editor

Senior Editor

Junior Editor

Photo Director

Copy Editor

Research & Legal Editor

Production Editor

Associate Editors

Art Director

International Editor

London Editor

Communications Director

Columnists

Writers at Large

Contributing Artists

Contributing Photographers

Architectural Consultant

Head of Audience Development

Social Media Manager

Cartoon Editor

Music Supervisor

Photo Editor

Designer

Technology

Interns

OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER ARE

Air Supply General Manager and Brand Partnerships

Advertising Director

European Sales Director

Financial & Business Operations

Account Manager

Chief Strategy Adviser

Chief Merchant

Shop Editor

E-Commerce Manager

E-Commerce Associates

In Memoriam